Chapter 438: Dispositions

"Lu Xiangsheng's reconnaissance is unclear, his dispositions are without method — he sits and watches as each town falls, utterly without relief. His former boasts of daring battle are clearly a bid for fame to deceive the masses! In leniency, considering his recent demotion, he is hereby ordered to redeem himself through strenuous effort. The Tartars have split into columns and are plundering southward; the Supreme Commanders and Grand Supervisors are to press closely with a pincer attack. A stern edict has been issued: if there is further dallying and empty posturing, severe punishment will be meted out without fail.

The court has exhausted the entire realm's resources to plan for the defense of every border. For years, edicts of exhortation have been frequent, and even the memorials in reply have been full of bold pledges. Yet when the enemy comes, they march straight in, never once obstructed. Even if one were to honor them for dying, what good does that do for the nation's affairs? Such is the utter unreliability of all these ministers. Now that so many Supreme Commanders and Grand Coordinators have been appointed, what measures are they taking at this moment? Moreover, the Provincial Administration Commissioners are mostly obstructive, the Grand Defenders mostly dallying — should the long-established skills of the marching columns be left unspoken, the fire-steps ignored? …" (Note 1)

On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, outside the Capital's Yongding Gate, over a thousand soldiers in gleaming armor and bright uniforms formed ranks along the road. A great crowd of civil and military officials had gathered at the gate. Today, the Chief Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, Liu Yuliang, was leaving the capital to serve as Imperial Inspector, and the officials who had come to see him off were numerous.

Chief Grand Secretary Liu Yuliang tucked away a memorial and raised his head to address Yang Sichang before him. "This old minister has fully grasped His Majesty's profound intent. Wenruo, the burden of the Central Hub here must trouble Wenruo to devote extra care and management. With the Capital Environs so ravaged, His Majesty's heart burns with anxiety. As senior ministers of the Cabinet, dare we not grind our very bones to dust in repayment? On this tour as Imperial Inspector, toward those who cower and linger, who wander lost at the crossroads — this old minister will show absolutely no indulgence."

Yang Sichang hastily bowed, keeping his head lowered as he said, "That Your Excellency Zhongtang, in your esteemed position as Chief Grand Secretary, would personally go to serve as Imperial Inspector — this humble official is truly moved with admiration. The situation in Ji'nan is already perilous in the extreme. The foremost task is none other than to halt the enemy's mad rampage. Whether Supreme Commander, Grand Coordinator, Regional Inspector, or Grand Defender, none have any grounds left to linger or evade. However, the only troops available at present are the two commands of the Supreme Commander and the Grand Supervisor. The two ministers must also be cautioned not to rashly squander their forces in battle, lest the entire situation collapse utterly. Your Excellency Zhongtang is thoroughly versed in the art of war. The subtle intricacies within this can only be grasped by Your Excellency Zhongtang. This, I imagine, is also His Majesty's deeper purpose in sending Your Excellency as Imperial Inspector."

Liu Yuliang nodded gravely. "This old minister's heart in service to the nation can be witnessed by the sun and heavens. But in the art of war, I cannot compare to Wenruo. With the Tartars' mad rampage so rampant in this campaign, we still need Wenruo to make meticulous dispositions at the Central Hub, so that the Army-in-Waiting does not become a heap of loose sand."

Yang Sichang repeatedly protested that he dared not accept such praise, while the corner of his eye swept over the person beside him. The entire Cabinet was present at this moment. Liu Yuliang was in fact drawing a clear boundary — he was saying that his trip out of the capital this time was as Imperial Inspector, that he would not manage specific battle matters, nor the overall strategic planning. He would only supervise and urge. Should any blunder occur in the fighting later, he would bear no responsibility.

As Chief Grand Secretary, Liu Yuliang ordinarily loved nothing more than discoursing on war and swordsmanship, styling himself as possessing frontier talent. He had perhaps managed to fool the people under him. Previously, when the prefectures and counties of Baoding and Zhending fell, a flurry of impeachments had been directed at Lu Xiangsheng and Gao Qiqian in court. Several of Liu Yuliang's trusted confidants, wholly intent on currying his favor, submitted memorials claiming that Liu Yuliang possessed frontier talent and recommending that he personally take command of the armies.

Once this memorial went up, the Emperor took it seriously. At the time, he was extremely dissatisfied with Lu Xiangsheng and was about to appoint Liu Yuliang to take command. Liu Yuliang was thus hoisted onto a high platform. The Emperor had issued the order; it would hardly do for him to say now that his earlier talk had been mere boasting. Yet if he truly went, he feared losing his life. In a single day, he seemed to age several years.

Just when he was stuck, unable to go up or down, Yang Sichang stepped forward and saved his life. Yang Sichang, after all, had genuinely led troops on the Nine Borders and worked alongside Liu Yuliang at the Central Hub; he knew exactly what level of ability the man possessed. No matter how poorly Lu Xiangsheng was performing this time, he was still a hundred times stronger than this Chief Grand Secretary. Yang Sichang submitted several memorials in succession, begging the Emperor not to change commanders in the middle of battle.

Fortunately, Liu Yuliang had enough self-awareness to slide down the ladder Yang Sichang had provided. In the end, he got the Emperor to change "take command of the armies" to "serve as Imperial Inspector." The meaning of this "Imperial Inspector" was to use his status as Chief Grand Secretary to go to the front lines and urge those civil and military officials to fight properly and forbid any shirking or trickery. It carried no specific responsibilities — far more flexible than Lu Xiangsheng's post as Regional Commander of Relief.

And so His Excellency Liu Zhongtang swiftly recovered his vigor and spirit. When facing Yang Sichang, the man who had saved his life, he no longer put on the airs of Chief Grand Secretary; he was exceedingly courteous. But after many years in officialdom, when it came to delineating responsibilities clearly, His Excellency Liu Zhongtang would not be ambiguous.

Just now, Liu Yuliang had finally touched on the matter of Central Hub dispositions. Yang Sichang felt he needed to confirm something further with Liu Yuliang, so that when the latter was inspecting the armies at the front, there would be no conflict with the Central Hub. But he first observed Xue Guoguan beside him. This whole farce stirred up by Liu Yuliang had cost him prestige at court, and the Emperor's impression of him was none too favorable either. How long he could remain Chief Grand Secretary was hard to say. Xue Guoguan, on the other hand, had recently given responses in audience that quite pleased His Majesty. With Liu Yuliang away from court during this period, the court generally held Xue Guoguan in higher regard. So Yang Sichang wanted to show a bit of humility and first see if Xue Guoguan had anything to say.

But Xue Guoguan showed no intention of speaking. Only then did Yang Sichang address Liu Yuliang again. "Your Excellency Zhongtang, the Tartars are powerful and rampant in this campaign. Relying solely on the Supreme Commander's troops will likely make them difficult to subdue. The Ministry of War has separately transferred the Qin Army under Cao Bianjiao and the Liao Garrison under Wu Xiang to enter the defense. For these two forces, this humble official intends to place them under the command of Grand Coordinator Sun Chuanting, to serve as a reserve force behind the Supreme Commander and Grand Supervisor. When the Tartars' momentum weakens, the several relief columns can assemble for a severe pincer attack, which should certainly yield solid results."

Liu Yuliang listened and nodded slightly. Yang Sichang had mentioned only the Supreme Commander's troops, which was in fact hinting that Sun Chuanting would be used to replace Lu Xiangsheng. Recently, the Emperor had harshly rebuked Lu Xiangsheng many times — Liu Yuliang was aware of this. Now that Yang Sichang brought it up again, it was to give him a clear sense of the situation, so that when he went to the front as Imperial Inspector, he could be stricter with Lu Xiangsheng without any risk.

Liu Yuliang pondered for a moment, then suddenly lowered his voice and asked, "This old minister ventures a question. Since the Tartars have not gone to Longgu Pass and entered Shanxi, and their entire force remains in Ji'nan, then with Wenruo's peerless frontier talent, can you determine where these Eastern Invaders are ultimately headed? Will they continue rampaging south? Return the way they came into Hejian? Or cross the Grand Canal into Shandong?"

His voice was very low; only Yang Sichang and Xue Guoguan heard it. Xue Guoguan still pretended not to have heard. Yang Sichang hesitated a moment, then said, "Your Excellency Zhongtang, with your keen insight — the lands of Ji'nan are flat and open. To determine where the Tartars are ultimately headed, one must rely on the scouts of each garrison to probe far and near before it can be understood. This humble official dare not make presumptuous judgments out of thin air. Otherwise, I would be no different from that Regional Commander of Relief."

Liu Yuliang chuckled dryly. Yang Sichang then continued, "Even if the Tartars' direction is not yet determined, the Ministry of War has made plans in advance. Although the report from Longgu Pass Pass Pass Pass was false, this humble official has already transferred Chen Xinjia back to his garrison, and the two Grand Coordinators of Shanxi are stationed at the various passes. This cuts off the Tartars' route westward. Within Ji'nan, apart from the two commands of the Supreme Commander and Grand Supervisor, Shandong Grand Coordinator Yan Ancestral Sacrifice is stationed at Dezhou, and Dengzhou Grand Coordinator Yang Wenyue is stationed at Linqing. As long as these two key towns are not lost, the Tartars' route eastward is cut off. To guard against the Tartars continuing their rampage south, Anqing Military Defense Circuit Shi Kefa has been transferred to Xuzhou, cutting off the Tartars' route southward."

"Wenruo truly lives up to your reputation for frontier talent. In this way, the Tartars have no choice but to return north. I imagine Sun Chuanting will be perfectly positioned to strike them in their weary retreat."

"Your Excellency Zhongtang's insight is profound." Yang Sichang bowed to show humility. In reality, the deployment he had just described could not possibly achieve the effect of blocking the Tartars' path. In the vast expanse to the east, Dezhou and Linqing could at most hold their own positions.

Not to mention Shi Kefa's column — the order token had been issued only after the Tartars entered Zhending Prefecture, to prevent them from breaking into Nanzhili. After receiving the order, it would take Shi Kefa at least two months to move his troops into position at Xuzhou. By the time he arrived, the Tartars would have long since gone elsewhere. Faced with the swift and agile Tartars, the Ministry of War's troop movements always seemed to play out in slow motion.

But Liu Yuliang raised no objection, which was also a way of saving face for Yang Sichang.

At that moment, a voice suddenly spoke up from behind Liu Yuliang. "Reporting for Your Excellency Zhongtang's information: this lowly general can also join Military Commander Sun in striking the bandits."

Yang Sichang glanced past Liu Yuliang with the corner of his eye. There stood several officers from the Capital Battalion, all of them looking quite robust and imposing. The one who had spoken was at the very front. Yang Sichang actually recognized him — Vice General Zhou Yuji of the Capital Battalion.

In Chongzhen's 10th year, Zhou Yuji had been transferred to suppress the Roving Bandits, with very good battle results. He and Huang Degong were both rising stars in the Capital Battalion, which was why he had been assigned to accompany the Chief Grand Secretary to the front. (Note 2)

Without turning his head, Liu Yuliang said, "General Zhou, in accompanying this official out of the capital this time, you are naturally going to strike the bandits. But when and where to strike must still follow the Central Hub's assignments. You must not rashly squander your forces in battle and ruin the Ministry of War's strategic planning."

This Capital Battalion unit had been given to Liu Yuliang and was, in effect, his personal bodyguard. Yang Sichang knew that Liu Yuliang had no real desire to fight the Tartars. Zhou Yuji jumping out to speak like this put Liu Yuliang in a somewhat awkward position, so Yang Sichang found it inconvenient to interject.

Liu Yuliang said no more and bid farewell to the other seeing-off officials. His bearing was steady and composed, fully possessing the gravitas of a Chief Grand Secretary.

Shen Xun, the accompanying Director of the Company of Operations from the Ministry of War, came to Yang Sichang's side. He leaned in and said in a low voice, "Sun Chuanting has submitted another memorial. He says that from what he has observed at the front, the officers and soldiers have not a shred of will to fight. Whenever they are ordered to engage the Tartars, they resort to all manner of excuses and delays. He believes that under no circumstances should a major battle be joined with the Tartars. Now that His Excellency Liu Zhongtang has gone, I wonder if he will be able to appreciate this opinion."

Yang Sichang was not surprised. This had always been Sun Chuanting's view — that the Ming Army was utterly incapable of fighting the Tartars in formation battle. "His Excellency Liu Zhongtang is the Chief Grand Secretary; he naturally understands this point. Did Sun Chuanting say when Cao Bianjiao can arrive?"

"He did not mention it. Wu Xiang, however, has sent definite word — he will arrive within three days. The ministry dispatch has already been issued, ordering him to go to Zhending and form a Combined Camp with Sun Chuanting." Shen Xun thought for a moment, then added, "Zuo Liangyu's force has sent no word at all. In the tenth month, Xiong Wencan mentioned that the Left Battalion had been dispatched, but to this day, no one knows where they have gotten to."

Yang Sichang let out a cold snort but did not pursue the topic. "Has there been any Dispatch Report from Lu Xiangsheng today?"

"The last Dispatch Report placed him at Nangong. He said the Tartars' entire force is near Linqing, and that the Xuan-Da Army is preparing to go to Linqing to form a Combined Camp with the Grand Supervisor, massing their troops in one place to fight a combined battle with the Tartars."

"A combined battle… Lu Xiangsheng is not ignorant of military matters; his mind is simply too burdened. Does he truly not understand that even if the troops are combined in one place, Gao Qiqian will not join him in a combined battle? Since both Tartar columns have formed a Combined Camp near Linqing, the first priority is to firmly defend Linqing. Dezhou must also not be left unguarded. The Tartars are perilously cunning; it's not impossible for them to wheel around for a return strike. Send a document to warn Yan Ancestral Sacrifice."

"Yan Ancestral Sacrifice has sent a letter. He says that a multitude of troops are massed at Linqing, but Ji'nan's defenses are empty — only a thousand Dengzhou Troops are there. The Tartars' movements are strange and unpredictable; one cannot rule out a surprise attack on Ji'nan or the like. He suggests detaching a portion of the forces from Linqing to assist in the Joint Defense of Ji'nan, or detaching troops to Dezhou while he leads his Standard Battalion back to defend Ji'nan."

Yang Sichang frowned in thought. "Then why does Song Xuezhu say that Ji'nan needs no troop transfers? Is it that the Community Soldiers and Local Militia are sufficient, or what?"

"This… Song Xuezhu's dispatch did not state clearly. He only said that he would shoulder full responsibility for Ji'nan's safety."

"He, Yan Ancestral Sacrifice, is the Shandong Grand Coordinator, and Song Xuezhu is the Shandong Regional Inspector. The two of them each have their own arguments — how is the Ministry of War supposed to make assignments?" Yang Sichang watched Liu Yuliang, who was talking with someone in the distance, for a long moment before saying, "Safety, what do you think? Will the Tartars really go to Ji'nan?"

Shen Xun bit his lip and for a long while dared not reply. Regarding the Tartars' line of advance in this campaign, the Ministry of War's assessments had not been correct even once. Shen Xun dared not recklessly draw conclusions again.

Yang Sichang did not press him. After a moment, he said, "Neither Linqing nor Dezhou can be allowed to fall. The Tartars are about to form a Combined Camp at Linqing, so Linqing must not divide its forces. Where else near Shandong are there troops that can be transferred for the Joint Defense of Ji'nan?"

Shen Xun lowered his head and thought briefly. "There are still two forces. One is the unit under Shandong Regional Commander Ni Chong, currently stationed at Xuzhou. The other is the unit under Pang Yu of the Anqing Cavalry Camp in Nanzhili. Previously, Shi Kefa reported that the Yingtian Troops had spontaneously set out for rally to the king. Later, Zhu Dadian sent a dispatch saying that the Anqing Cavalry Camp had already reached Xuzhou."

"This Pang Yu's Anqing Cavalry Camp is a usable force." Yang Sichang nodded. "Then have Zhu Dadian transfer troops to garrison Xuzhou. Ni Chong and Pang Yu, these two forces, are to respond and reinforce Ji'nan. If the Tartars return north, Ni Chong is to be placed under the Grand Supervisor's command for pursuit, and Pang Yu under Lu Xiangsheng's command for pursuit. Draft the order immediately and send it out today."

…

Note 1: These two passages come from two separate memorials, both bearing the Chongzhen Emperor's handwritten replies. The first passage's assessment of Lu Xiangsheng was written before Lu Xiangsheng died in battle; it is unknown whether he himself ever saw it. The second passage is from a memorial by Chen Xinjia. The Military Section's copy was issued on the twenty-second day of the twelfth month. It quotes a section of an imperial edict, in which Chongzhen primarily targets local officials who died in battle, blaming them for failing to defend their cities adequately and saying that dying when the city fell was of no use. While there is a certain logic to this, as a manager, evaluating subordinates who have already died in the line of duty in this manner is still somewhat inappropriate.

Note 2: In Chongzhen's 11th year, Zhou Yuji was a Vice General of the Capital Battalion, stationed in the Capital. He accompanied Liu Yuliang out of the capital and participated in the latter half of the campaign.